Title
South Pyrenean montane relict Ouercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia-forests with Juniperus oxycedrus, Rubia peregrina
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Spain: Pyrenees (sector Somontaneo-Aragonés (province Aragon)
area frequency
9 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Helleboro foetidae-Quercetum rotundifoliae (Gruber 1974) Rivas-Martínez 1983 (= Buxo-Querecetum rotundifoliae helleboretosum foetidi Gruber 1974; Quercetum rotundifoliae buxetosum Vives 1964).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Small-growing Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia forests with occasional specimens of Juniperus phoenicea and Juniperus oxycedrus. In the undergrowth and at the margins with sub-Mediterranean elements and other, even more southerly characteristic species of the Quercetalia pubescentis (Aceri-Quercion fagineae) such as Quercus faginea, Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii, Galium maritimum, Acer monspessulanum, Lonicera etrusca.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia, Quercus faginea, Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii, Acer monspessulanum
Shrub layer
Juniperus oxycedrus, Juniperus phoenicea, Buxus sempervirens, Pistacia terebinthus
Lianas
Rubia peregrina, Lonicera etrusca
Herb layer
Helleborus foetidus, Lavandula latifolia, Lavandula angustifolia subsp. pyrenaica, Aphyllanthes monspeliensis, Achnatherum calamagrostis, Bromus erectus, Helictotrichon pratense, Bothriochloa ischaemum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia; Juniperus oxycedrus; Rubia peregrina, Helleborus foetidus
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
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Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
species-rich beech forests (F137), downy oak forests (G41), Quercus faginea forests (G72), Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests (J4), pine forests (K5).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Hardly any forestry; dense scrub: Buxus sempervirens, Juniperus phoenicea, Pistacia terebinthus, Lonicera etrusca; degraded scrub: Genista scorpius, Satureja montana, Aphyllanthes monspeliensis, Thymus fontqueri. Buxus sempervirens plays a major role in the degradation stages. Kermes oak forest-garrigue: Quercetum cocciferae.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pasture land: Helictotrichon pratense, Bothriochloa ischaemum, Bromus erectus, Achnatherum calamagrostis, Brachypodium phoenicoides, Brachypodium retusum; Thymo-Avenetum ibericae, Brachypodio-Aphyllanthetum monspeliensis; Achilleo-Botriochloetum ischaemi (Xerobromion); livestock grazing.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
southern slopes of the Pyrenees to the adjacently lying Aragon; rugged flanks (rugged slopes), crests
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
montane and supra-Mediterranean (optimal in the Mediterranean region); as high as 1000 m
Geology (bedrock)
silicate rocks (Palaeozoic: among others Devonian, Carboniferous, Silurian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
in the Pyrenees on especially dry poorly developed soils; as well on base-poor and on base-rich substrates; (stony dystric cambisols; dystric regosols)
soil texture
rocky basement
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry, dry
soil reaction
acidic to neutral
soil fertility
oligotrophic, oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV(VI), IV6
average annual temperature
6-12 °C
average annual precipitation
400-500 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
22-23 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
1-2 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
In regions rich in rain, forests (and included substitute scrubs) colonize without exception on sunny sites and tops, where the evapo-transpiration is much higher; continental character, generally subhumid ombro climate with a tendency to a more dry type due to the effect of internal valleys.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Relicts of more xerothermic epochs in the Pyrenees.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Forestry, grazing.
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
No details
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Carreras, Carrillo, Font, Ninot, Soriano & Vigo Bonada 1995; Carrillo & Ninot 1992; Gruber 1974; Rivas-Martínez 1983; Rivas-Martínez 1987; Vives 1964
Compiled by
V. Voggenreiter based on documents by S. Rivas-Martínez; A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos
